But how much does it matter? Here’s a statistic for you: According to a UNESCO report, a child who is born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5. Why is this? You can argue the rationale for hours, but the fact is: education helps.

I’ve seen a lot of churches do sports ministries. That’s nice; a great way to get the community involved in the church. And it’s certainly not a bad outreach. It’s rare, however, that I see churches do book drives or anything that promotes learning.

Here’s a newsflash: we don’t need more athletes. We need more doctors, librarians, teachers—educators. While a sports camp will certainly give a child positive support, imagine the message you send when you tell people you want to help create a smarter future.

If you’d like to get involved with an organization that supports learning, I’ve created a list of some of the many great organizations (both Christian and non-Christian) on this page:http://www.organicjesus.com/charities